PDR for Herbal Medicines

714 /SPINY REST HARROW PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

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Stuttgart 1997.

Spruce

Picea species

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the oil extracted

from the needles, branch tips or branches and the fresh

Spruce shoots.

Flower and Fruit: The male flowers are strawberry colored,

the female are crimson or green. The male flowers are in

short-stemmed, cylindrical catkins scattered over the crown.

The female flowers are in elliptical-cylindrical cones at the

top of the crown. The ripe cones are sessile, hanging,

globular-clavate and covered in rhomboid scales, which are

thin, undulating at the tip and dentate. The wings of the small

seeds are 3 times as long as the seeds themselves.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Picea excelsa is a tree that grows

from 30 to 60 m high and has a column-like trunk with

brown-red bark and a girth of about 2 m. The trunk is usually

branched. The branches are horizontal and flat. The young

shoots are reddish-brown or orange-red. The crossed-oppo-

site leaves are scaly and imbricate. The needles remain on

the tree for a number of years. On the upper surface of the

shoots they are pointed forward, on the lower surface they

are pointed toward the sides. They are 1.3 to 2.5 cm long,

rigid or curved, rich green and have a blunt horn-like tip.

Habitat: The tree is found in northern and central Europe.
Production: The essential oil is obtained from the fresh
needles and twig tops or branches of Picea abies (Syn: Picea
excelsa), Abies alba, Abies sachalinensis or Abies sibirica.
The essential oil is recovered from the needles by a 5 to 6

hour continuous process of aqueous steam distillation on a

sieve base of layered and crushed fresh twigs. Preparations

from the fresh 10 to 15 cm long shoots of Picea abies and/or

Abies alba (Syn.: Abies pectinata) are collected in the spring.

Other Names: Balm of Gilead Fir, Balsam Fir, Canada

Balsam, Fir Tree, Hemlock Spruce, Norway Pine, Norway

Spruce, Spruce Fir

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS: SPRUCE NEEDLE OIL

From Picea abies:

Bornyl acetate (5-25%)

Limonene (10-30%)

Camphene (10-25%)

Alpha-pinene (10-25%): additionally, including among oth-

ers santene, beta-pinene, Delta3-carene, myrcene

From Picea mariana:

Bornyl acetate (37-49%)

Camphene (10-17%)

Alpha-pinene (10%): additionally, including among others

beta-pinene, limonene, Delta3-carene, myrcene, santene

From Abies alba:

Bornyl acetate (2-10%)

Limonene (25-55%)

Camphene (9-20%)

Alpha-pinene (6-35%): additionally, including among others

beta-pinene, beta-phellandrene, Delta-carene, myrcene,

santene

EFFECTS: SPRUCE NEEDLE OIL

The plants are secretolytic, antibacterial and hyperemic.

COMPOUNDS: SPRUCE SHOOTS (FRESH)

Volatile oil (0.2-0.5%): chief components limonene, alpha-

pinene, borneol, bornyl acetate

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

EFFECTS: SPRUCE SHOOTS (FRESH)

The essential oil has a secretory, mild antiseptic and

hyperemic effect.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

SPRUCE NEEDLE OIL

Approved by Commission E:

• Common cold


• Cough/bronchitis


• Fevers and colds